That evening, they ate dinner while watching the vidscreen, as usual. When they were done, Saren resumed his now customary reclining. Instead of extending his feet to her, however, he took out the bag of chocolates from where he had hid it amongst the sofa cushions.
"Do you want dessert?"
"Sure."
It takes a moment, where she maneuvers between the couch cushions and against him, nestling into place. He dips his head and they kiss again. She starts to elude him, slipping away to press the tips of his mandible prongs between her lips, sliding her tongue on them, making him sigh and thrum. When she kisses her way back to his mouth she gradually presses her tongue against his. He lets out a gust of breath from his nose at the new sensation. She lingers deliciously, before releasing him and laying back on the cushions.
He gives her a chocolate. He watches, seduced by her through it, finding temptation in the way she slowly unwraps it, the anticipatory smile she has while looking at it, and the way her lips close over it. And there, when she gains pleasure from the taste, he is envious; he wants to make her look just as pleased.
The vidfeed is forgotten background noise.
Another kiss bestowed, another chocolate rewarded.
The third time, she feels his hand, which was on her shoulder, slipping downwards and softly resting on her breast. Excitement warms her kisses even more and she arches into his hand.
"Like that?"
"Yes."
He does the best he can over her clothes, until she lifts her shirt up and and undoes her bra. Their snug positions on the sofa mean that he can't see what he's doing, not while kissing her. He carefully, blindly feels her, encountering her nipple and gently circles it with one finger until it hardens. She makes a sound and it's good. He takes it between his thumb and first finger, just playing with it and she shifts, deepening her kisses.
He breathes deeply while she eats the chocolate. He wants more and he nudges the prongs of a mandible against her collarbone, hopeful. Does she understand?
It's easy for Shepard to lift the folds of the bedsheet aside and to knead at his waist, more firmly than she would for toweling him dry and he arches, purring, thrumming, heating up. He's normally so still and composed that seeing him like this, already abandoning himself, is thrilling. She notices movement at the corner of her eye; there's movement at his seam, the plates are parting, but she does not stop kissing him. Saren makes a full body undulation and the last roll of his hips has his cock sliding out.
She looks at it, reaching out and softly running her finger over it, following the ridges and Saren inhales. She's murmuring into his neck as she wraps her fingers around him. Something about needing to talk after she makes him come. He says yes to everything because he's too far gone to think straight. Her hand slides so easily, and he asks her to grip harder, faster, please, yes, he's almost- almost-
He's silent when he comes. Somehow, Shepard is not surprised that he would be. What does surprise her is that after, he takes her by the wrist, bringing her hand up to his mouth and gently, meticulously licks her fingers clean. He leans in and licks her neck once with that same delicacy.
"Thank you," he says.
When she tells him that she wants to go with him and take him up on his offer, he is glad. She then tells him that it is an entirely different issue for her to accept his courting.
"What is it?"
She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.
"It's probably not a good idea, honestly. Just because it feels good, doesn't mean that we suit."
"Shepard."
He puts his hand over hers.
"Aren't we suiting now?"
He's not just tolerating her anymore, can't she tell? He wants. Why else would he even start?
"I desire you," he gives voice to his dream. "Everything about you."
She smiles and leans her head against his shoulder, distractingly tracing her fingers over his palm.
"You have such a way of saying things," she sighs. "It's very convincing."
"Have I convinced you?"
"I'm having fewer reservations," Shepard laces her fingers around his.
"Few enough to stay the night with me?"
She lifts her head to look at him. He looks back, expectant. Nothing was gained by simply not asking.
"I actually want to just sleep."
"That's fine."
And it was. Saren had not considered it before; he was not in the habit of simply sleeping with someone. He stayed awake for a while after she went to sleep. Her breathing was a soft, distinct new noise in the room and occasionally she cleared her nose. Before, it would be irritating. But here she was, presenting the reality of being with her to him and he would not be ungrateful. He settled in and after a moment of hesitation, reached out and draped one arm over her before closing his eyes.
tbc